380-kV-Salzburg Line

The 380-kV-Salzburg-line is one the most important infrastructure projects of the present, replacing the 220-kV-line from St. Peter am Hart (Upper Austria) to the substation Tauern near Kaprun (Salzburg).

Project Overview

To improve security of supply to the city of Salzburg, the first 46 km-long section of the Salzburg line from St. Peter to the newly erected Salzburg substation near Elixhausen was completed ahead of schedule and commissioned in January 2011.

The central focus now lies on completing the second section of the Salzburg line so as to close the western gap in the ring. The closure of this gap in combination with the construction of Wagenham substation will also protect security of supply in the economic region of Braunau.

Supra-regional-significance

Within the framework of the directives for European transport grids, the 380-kV-Salzburg line was evaluated as being "of Community interest" and worthy of funding. Thanks to its location in the heart of Europe, Austria also holds an important place in the electricity market.

Security of supply

The existing Austrian transmission grid was erected in the 1950s and 1960s. As electricity consumption has since increased almost fivefold, the grid has now reached its capacity limit. Austrian Power Grid AG must now implement sophisticated technical congestion management measures to ensure reliable grid operations. The north-south connections, in particular, are massively overloaded. A sustainable improvement can only be achieved through the completion of the 380-kV-ring

380-kV ring

The highly efficient Austrian extra-high voltage grid is characterized by its ring structure which allows customers on both sides to be supplied with power. The Salzburg line will close the 380-kV ring, the backbone of Austria's electricity supply, in Western Austria.